UVM's

Farmer Training

Program

Hands-on, Skill-based Education in Sustainable Agriculture

UVM’s Farmer Training Program is a six-month, hands-on program for aspiring farmers and food-systems advocates that provides experiential, skills-based education in sustainable farming. Students will get a unique and comprehensive education by running all aspects of the 10-acre Catamount Educational Farm, learning from expert farmers and educators in the classroom and alongside successful, inspiring farmers in the Burlington area.

Graduates will gain:

A Certificate in Sustainable Farming from UVM

Experience in organic crop production, from seed to market

A deeper understanding of small-scale farm management

Entrepreneurial skills to start a farm business

A network of incredible people to provide support and guidance

Who is this program for?

The program is designed for people interested in immersing themselves in sustainable, local food systems in a hands-on educational setting. Candidates include, but are not limited to: new and beginning farmers, urban and community gardeners, farm educators and students interested in deepening their understanding of sustainable farming systems in an intensive and focused learning environment.

Why Vermont?

Vermont is a national model in alternative food-systems development with its network-based approach. Here you’ll find farmers, food-systems advocates, regional food hubs, policy makers, and community members committed to increasing production and consumption of local foods. Vermont has the highest number of farmers’ markets and CSAs per capita than any state, and it’s consistently ranked among the healthiest, greenest places in the nation. When it comes to local food, Vermont proves what’s possible.

Application deadline is March 1, however, the program will likely fill before then. To secure a space in the 2017 cohort, apply now. First round of application reviews will be completed by November 15.

Tour the farm

Visit our farm and experience what the Farmer Training Program has to offer.
To select a tour date, fill out the Learn More form above.
Tour dates:
June 10, 1 pm
July 8, 1 pm
August 5, 1 pm
September 9, 1pm
October 7, 1 pm

Related Programs

Food Hub Management

The first of its kind in the country, this program is an innovative blend of hands-on, community-based, online, and on-campus learning that will prepare you for effective management of food hubs and provide you with essential tools to advance your career in food systems.

Catamount Educational Farm

The mission of Catamount Educational Farm is to model sustainable farming practices through a working vegetable and fruit farm that provides educational and research opportunities for the UVM community. Students will be integral in carrying out all activities of the farm, and this experiential learning environment will provide them with real and diverse sustainable farm management skills. The farm will also contribute to the local food system of the university by marketing the student-grown produce back to the UVM community through a campus farm stand, CSA shares and a wholesale account with University Dining Services.

Together they have almost 40 years of farming experience, three degrees from UVM, and an incredible wealth of knowledge in how to produce amazing food, foster healthy communities, and have fun even when the work is hard.

Career Spotlight

The Master of Public Health (MPH) degree is a 42-credit online graduate program that helps you explore public health and policy issues while gaining a strong foundation in population health sciences. Our program leads to a Generalist MPH degree focused on excellence in Environmental Public Health; Quantitative Public Health Sciences; and Health Policy, Leadership, and Advocacy.

You can complete the program in two years (full-time) or up to five years (part-time). Whether you want to learn more about public health issues or seek a career in health care, research, or public health, our program can help further your goals by teaching you to:

Resources

Kelly Clements ’14 worked in the quality assurance realm of the food industry before deciding to pivot in a new career direction. The Vermont native, who majored in Nutrition and Food Science at UVM, recently returned to her alma mater … The post UVM Alumna Finds New Beginning in Public Health Program appeared first on […]